It's All Your Fault
by Sasha.Rizzoli
Summary: Lindsay and Tom get back together when they find out Lindsay is pregnant but what happens when the newborn is taken? My 1st Women's Murder Club fic. Please be gentle.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Women's Murder Club fic, so I'm sorry if they are a little out of character. It's sort of AU, so somethings may happen out of order and I don't remember them ever saying a middle name for Lindsay, so I made up my own. Please read and review. No Flames.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing.**

* * *

Lindsay stared at Claire in shock. Her heart was pounding. Her skin tingling. "W-what did you s-say?" She asked the Medical Examiner/ best friend again.

She needed to know if she had heard correctly.

Claire put a caring hand on the inspector's shoulder and looked in to her beautiful brown eyes. "You're pregnant, Linz. You need to tell Tom," she whispered, softly.

Lindsay shook her head and slowly backed up. "No. He's getting married to Heather," she answered and turned around to walk away.

"Lindsay! Lindsay Rose Boxer!"

"I got to get back to the bullpen." Lindsay headed toward the door to avoid further conversation.

Claire slumped down in her desk chair with a sigh. "Oh, Linz."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Boxer walked in to the office to find Jill Bernhardt, the D.D.A and her best friend and Tom Hogan, her boss/ ex-husband. They were standing by her desk, talking about a current case.

"....So how's she doing?" She heard her ex-husband ask her best friend.

Lindsay pursed her lips together and rolled her eyes as she walked over to them.

"She doesn't like to be worried about," was Jill's simple, standard answer, just like every other time he had asked since he'd become Lieutenant.

The D.D.A turned just in time to see the dark, wavy haired inspector slump down in to her desk chair, tiredly.

Jill could clearly see that something was troubling her best friend, but knew she couldn't ask what in front of said friend's ex-husband.

"Linz, you ok?" Tom asked, concerned.

Lindsay was about to insist that she was fine, but stopped short seeing Heather walk in with her kindergarten class. She watched Tom kiss Heather on the lips in greeting, as if the one night stand which had created the six week old fetus in Lindsay's womb, hadn't happened; before they walked away.

Lindsay sighed and acted like everything was normal. She was not in the mood to talk about Tom, Heather, their impending wedding, her one night stand with Tom or her pregnancy.

The D.D.A sat on the edge on the inspector's desk and watched as her friend's face paled. "Linz? Earth to Lindsay?"

She was waving her hand in front of Lindsay's face.

After a moment, the fiesty brown eyed inspector looked up. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," she insisted with a fake smile. Just seconds later she pounced out of her seat, running toward the restroom.

The blonde D.D.A walked in to the restroom to hear the familiar sound of retching from the end stall. She found Lindsay on her knees, hunched over the toilet, praying to the porcelein Gods.

"Linz?" She murmured, rubbing her friend's back and holding back her long hair.

When Lindsay was finished, she took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.

"I'm ok," she replied, flushing the toilet.

"No, you're not. Go home, honey," Jill ordered softly.

Lindsay ws about to reply, but was interrupted by a knock on the ladies' restroom door, followed by a deep familiar voice.

"Lindsay?" It was her partner, Warren Jacobi.

"Yes, Jacobi?" Lindsay answered, ignoring the D.D.A's glare as she used the wall to help herself up.

"We got a lead. You good to go?"

Lindsay pulled open the door with a fake smile. "Yep. Let's go."

"Lindsay....."

The inspector turned back to the D.D.A. "I'm fine, Jill. Really," was her simple answer before following Jacobi out.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jill took a quick trip down to the morgue, where she found Claire at her desk, talking to Cindy. The fourth member of the club and reporter for the Register.

Claire looked up to see Jill walk in. "Hey. What's up?" She asked, sensing something was up.

"Hi," Cindy greeted her as she sunk in the other chair.

"Hey. Something's up with Lindsay...." She said and looked back up at the Medical Examiner. "Hang on....You know something. What is it, Claire?"

Claire Washburn bit her lip and looked between the two women sitting before her as they anxiously looked back at her, waiting for an answer.

"Well, what's wrong with Lindsay?" Cindy spoke up.

"Well, nothing's wrong with Lindsay, per se. But...it's up to Lindsay to tell you. You know that," Claire answered. Not to reveal Lindsay's secret until she decided that she wanted Jill and Cindy to know.

"Claire...."

"No, Cindy. I got an autopsy to perform," she replied and got up. Ignoring the glares from two of her best friends, boring holes in to her back. "Not telling you, so stop glaring."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

In Lindsay Boxer's white SUV, Warren Jacobi looked over at his younger partner as she drove.

"Boxer? Lindsay!"

Lindsay jumped, slightly startled by Jacobi's raised voice. She took a quick glance at the man before turning back to the road ahead.

"Yeah?"

"You got something you need to share?"

Lindsay turned on the indicator and turned on to a quiet side street before answering distantly. "No. Not really."

"What did I tell you about hiding stuff from your own partner, Boxer?" He said as they approached an abandoned warehouse.

Lindsay thought back to that horrible day, where he had actually made her cry in the evidence lock-up, when the Kiss-Me-Not Killer was after her.

Lindsay scratched the side of her head, behind her left ear as she pulled up in front of the warehouse, before looking over at her passenger.

Jacobi looked at his partner's facial expression and just knew she was hiding something. "What is it, Lindsay?"

"I'm pregnant," she offered in a near whisper.

"I didn't know that you were dating....Oh...Tom's the father," he said as it clicked in his brain.

Lindsay nodded, sombrely before clearing her throat and opening the car door. "Let's get to work."


	2. Chapter 2

**Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing.**

* * *

It had just gone eight at night and Lindsay was still at her desk, day dreaming. Just trying to think of a way to tell Tom that she was pregnant from the one night stand, that they'd had after that case where a young mother-to-be had killed her child's father and they were searching for her and the baby. They were talking about Lindsay's first pregnancy, which had ended terribly and before they knew it, they were having sex.

"Lindsay? Lindsay?!"

Lindsay jumped, startled at the feel of someone's hand on her shoulder and the call of her name. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage and her mind was racing a thousand miles at minute. She didn't realize that anyone was still in the office. The Inspector had been certain that everyone had left for the night.

"Lindsay?! Boxer!" The voice had raised in volume and concern.

Lindsay quickly indentified it as her ex-husband's voice.

She looked up to see Tom standing over her. "Yes, Lieutenant," Lindsay asked, professionally.

She was still angry with him for saying that them having sex was a mistake.

Lieutenant Hogan grabbed a seat and sat beside his ex-wife's desk. "What's going on, Linz?"

Lindsay grabbed a packet of chips out of her desk drawer and opened them.

"Don't you have a fiancee to go home to?" She muttered with a sigh.

"She's on her way to pick me up. Right now, I'm worried about you though."

"Well don't," she insisted and took a chip, putting in her mouth.

"Lindsay...."

The beautiful brown eyes woman swallowed the chewed chip. "I need to tell you something....I just don't know how to say it."

"Well, just say it, Linz."

Lindsay inhaled a shaky, deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm pregnant."

"I didn't know that you were dating. Congrat---"

"It's yours," the Inspector interrupted him.

Before Tom could repsond, they was a shriek from across the room.

"What?!"

Lindsay and Tom both looked up to see a shocked and furious, Heather Donnelly.

She was stalking toward the desk and both Lieutenant and Inspector stood up. Heather stood foot to foot with Lindsay, with the look of fury in her eyes.

"How dare you?!" She cried.

"Heather--" Lindsay began but was stopped by a sting to her cheek.

The kindergarten teacher had slapped her.

Lindsay was shocked, before she could react, Tom had pulled Heather away.

"We'll finish this tomorrow. Come on, Heather," Tom said, taking his exasperated fiancee out.

Lindsay sunk down in to her chair, rubbing her sore, red cheek. The woman had a heck of a hand on her, that was for sure.

Her cell phone chimed and vibrated on the desk, so she picked it up.

A lit front screen and 'one new message' greeted her. She opened it to see that it was a text from Claire.

"Meet us at Papa Joe's in 10 mins," was what it read.

The Inspector replied saying that she was on the way before standing up, grabbing her coat and walking out.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The tired, pregnant Inspector found her three best friends standing on the steps, out the front of the eating establishment.

"Hey, honey," Claire greeted Lindsay and put a caring hand on the small of her back, as Jill and Cindy said their 'hellos'.

The female Inspector muttered her greeting and the four women headed inside to their usual booth.

"So what's the secret, Linz?" Cindy asked straight away, sitting across from Lindsay and Claire, beside Jill. She couldn't help herself, she wanted to know.

The M.E. Glared at the young reporter. "Cindy," she warned.

Lindsay sighed and put a hand on Claire's thigh, stopping her from saying anything further. "It's ok, Claire. They should know....I'm pregnant."

Jill furrowed her eyebrows. "The one night stand with Tom?"

Lindsay nodded, sadly, as her brown eyes welled up against her will. "I—I don't think he wants anything to do with it."

Claire rubbed Lindsay's back. "It's his child, Linz. I'm sure he wants to be there for you and the baby. Did he say he didn't?"

Lindsay shook her head. "He didn't get a chance to. Heather walked in. She heard everything."

"What did she say?" Jill wondered.

"Do you mean before or after she slapped me?" The Inspector muttered sarcastically.

Cindy leaned over the table as Claire's and Jill's eyebrows rose. "She slapped you?"

"Yes. She's got one heck of a hand on her, I'll tell you that much," Lindsay answered before being interrupted by her cell phone ringing already. She grabbed it out and saw 'Tom cell,' flashing on the front screen.

She cleared her throat and opened it up. "Boxer."

"Lindsay, meet me back at the office. I need to talk to you about something important."

"If it's about the baby we can talk tomorrow," she answered, angrily.

"It's about that and something else. Don't make me order you down here, Boxer," he spoke in an authorative voice.

Lindsay sighed. "Fine. Be there in ten," she replied and hung up before looking back at her friends. "Sorry I got to go," she informed them, gave them each a hug and rushed out the place.

After Lindsay was out of sight, Cindy looked at Claire and Jill.

"We need to help her."

Claire nodded. "And we will....But only when she allows us to, Cindy. We've learnt the hard way, haven't we, Jill?"

"Yeah." Jill nodded in agreement.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Lindsay walked upstairs to Tom's office and knocked on the door.

Tom looked up at his ex-wife. "Come in, Linz."

The dark haired Inspector stood against a wall opposite Tom's desk and folded her arms on her chest. "What was so important, that couldn't wait until tomorrow, Tom?" She asked, impatiently.

"A guy I put away thirteen years ago during one of my first cases has been released."

"Yeah, so? Why are you telling me this?"

"Because he is after you, Lindsay."


	3. Chapter 3

**Please read and review. **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing.**

Lindsay's brown eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in shock. "What the hell? Why?.......Let him try."

Tom sighed and shook his head. "Think about the baby, Linz. You don't want to lose another one, honey."

Anger flashed in Lindsay's eyes as her heart pounded and skin was flushed and hot. She was furious.

"Do NOT use my first pregnancy against me! It wasn't my fault!" She cried with a loud, painful sob.

Tom wrapped his arms around his sobbing ex-wife and gently pulled her flush up against him.

The Inspector tried to fight her way out of his caring grasp.

"Don't fight me, Linz. I didn't mean to upset you," he whispered and kissed the crown of her head, softly inhaling Lindsay's shampoo. Vanilla and Lavender.

The dark wavy haired woman finally gave in and wrapped her arms around Tom, crying in to his chest. Finally releasing her distressing sobs.

"I-- I can't lose this baby, Tom. I wouldn't be able to handle the pain again. I want this baby more then anything in the world," she mumbled in to his chest before gently pulling back and continuing , "I want a little girl and name her Natalie. I want to be woken up by a crying baby at two am and nurse her in a rocking chair, looking out at the stars in the night sky, softly humming," she whispered.

"I want a little girl too, Linz. I want to watch her gaining strength from her mommy," he said and gently cupped her face in his hands.

He leaned down slightly and his lips collided with Lindsay's.

She was a bit hesitant at first befor giving in and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her forearms on his shoulders.

Lindsay gave as good as she got, kissing back furiously.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Just as Lindsay went to unzip Tom's pants, her cell phone vibrated and chimed on her belt again. She was a popular little bee tonight.

Lindsay cleaned her throat and pulled away before pulling out her phone.

"Boxer."

"Linz, it's Claire. There was a shooting outside the diner. Jill's been hit...."

Lindsay was in shock. "W-what?" She stuttered before passing out.

Tom didn't even get a chance to catch her before she hit the floor.

He could hear Claire's voice through the phone. "Lindsay?! Lindsay?!"

Tom took the phone. "She just passed out, Claire. I'm calling an ambulance," he said and hung up to call the EMS.

In the car, Claire hung up and rubbed her face, worringly and exhaustedly.

First Jill, now Lindsay, heading to the emergency department of Mission Cross North Hospital.

"Lindsay passed out when I was talking to her," she informed Cindy, who was driving toward the hospital.

"Is she ok?" Cindy asked concerned, speeding on to another street.

Claire sighed. "I'm not sure. Tom just said that Lindsay had passed out and he was calling 9-1-1," the medical examiner explained to the reporter.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Two hours later found Tom, Claire and Cindy pacing around the hospital's emergency department's waiting room. They were still anxiously waiting for news on Lindsay and Jill.

A tal female doctor with wavy sandy brown hair and dark hazel eyes appeared from a corridor, where they had rushed Lindsay toward a room, semi-conscious.

"Lieutenant Hogan?" She asked in a soft voice.

Tom stood up and stretched out a hand, which the doctor shook. "Yes. How is she?"

"I'm Doctor Sarah Morgan. Ms. Boxer and the baby are just fine. She passed out from exhaustion and shock. She's awake and you're welcome to go see her. Room twenty-eight."

"Thank you," he said and turned to Claire and Cindy as the doctor left.

"Tell Linz, we love her and we'll be in soon," Claire said.

Tom nodded, distractedly and muttered an 'okay', before walking away.

He need to see Lindsay now and make sure himself that she was ok.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The Inspector came to and looked around, confused. She blinked, rapidly, disorientated, not notcing the doctor writing down her vitals to her right.

"W-where am I?" She thought out loud.

"You're in Mission Cross North Hospital, Ms. Boxer."

Lindsay turned her head to the right, startled, but settled seeing the young doctor. She furrowed her brows. "What happened? Why am I here? Is my baby ok?" She asked, desperately quickly.  
The friendly doctor rested a soft, caring hand on the slightly older woman's hand, which was sitting in her lap, on top of the hospital issue blanket. She looked in to Lindsay's eyes. Hazel meeting brown.

"Ms. Boxer, you and the baby are just fine but....you need to look after yourself and that child, ok, honey?"

Lindsay nodded and vowed to do just that. She just couldn't lose a second child, she just wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Your Lieutenant is in the waiting room. Would you like me to bring him in, Inspector?" Dr Morgan asked softly.

"Yes please," Lindsay replied, thankfully and finally relaxed in to the two pillows behind her tired head.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Lindsay closed her eyes momentarily but they sprung open again, hearing someone entering the small, private hospital room.

She smiled softly, seeing the father of her unborn child walk in with a worried expression etched in his haggard face.

"You scared the crap outta me, Lindsay Boxer," he said, taking a seat on the bed beside her and took her hand in his.

"Baby Boxer and I are just fine, Tom," she whispered with a small smile and her free hand resting on her currently still flat belly.

"Linz...."

Lindsay furrowed her brows. "What? You're getting married to Heather, so the baby is going to be a Boxer," she said, adamantly.

Tom sighed. "The wedding is off, Linz," he explained sadly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stuff up your relationship with Heather," she said, sympathically.

The Lieutenant shook his head. "It was a mutual decision. I need to take responsibilty and be a father to my child."

"How's Jill?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Not sure yet."

"She's gonna be fine," a voice said from the doorway. It was Claire and Cindy was right behind her.

Lindsay smiled, seeing two of her best friends. "Hey. Come in."

Claire and Cindy walked in and stood by one side of the bed.

"How are you and Baby Boxer, Linz?" Clare asked, softly, giving Lindsay a gentle hug.

"It's going to be Baby Hogan," Tom insisted.

Claire looked at Lindsay, who just nodded.

"Oh, well, how is Baby Hogan?"

"The baby and I are just fine, but I need to cut back my hours at work," she informed her friends.

"Are you going to?" Cindy questioned, eyeing her friend.

Lindsay nodded. "Yes, I am for the baby."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Please bare with me, the action starts next chapter. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything or anyone you recognize.**

* * *

Thirty-nine week pregnant Lindsay snuck in to the bullpen to hopefully get some work to do. The house was lonely. It was spotlessly clean, after she'd cleaned it half a dozen times, and all the baby stuff up and ready for the new baby, when she or he arrived.

Seeing that Jacobi wasn't at his desk, she eased herself in to her desk chair and placed her hands on her swollen belly. She had her legs stretched out in front of her, for minimal comfort.

Tom walked downstairs to see a very pregnant Lindsay sitting at her desk, looking for some work to do.

He sighed. "Come home, Linz. Have a nap or something."

Lindsay looked up at him. "Too lonely and boring, Tom."

Tom stretched out a hand to her, knowing she'd need a hand to get up.

"Tom," she whined, rubbing her belly, soothing her active unborn child.

Her back was aching but she'd finally gotten a little comfortable.

"Up," he said again.

Reluctantly she took his hand and let him help her up. "Where are you taking me, Tom?"

"In to my office," he said and helped her up the stairs, "then I have a meeting to go to. So I want you to relax, ok? The baby is due in six days, honey, you need to rest."

Lindsay groaned. "Why can't the baby come now. My back is so sore and my ankles are so swollen."

"The baby will come when he or she is ready, honey," he whispered, rubbing her belly. "I have to go," he said and walked out.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Half an hour later, Tom was still in the meeting with Jill, Claire and the Chief. Lindsay was still in the office, just about falling asleep. Her waters broke, shocking her. After the first contraction faded, she was hoping to have plenty of time or even better, hoping it was just a Braxton Hicks. But her waters broke, meaning the baby was coming.

"Oh no, no, no," she murmured, rubbing her belly. "Oh not now, baby," she whispered and grabbed out her cell phone.

She called Tom, who didn't answer. She then tried Claire with the same result, so she tried Jill, also with the same result. But just as she went to try Cindy, her phone rang in her hand. It was Claire, returning her call.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"M-my water broke, Claire," she moaned through her second contraction. They were very close.

"Hang on, honey. We'll take you to the hospital."

"Won't make it, Claire. My contractions are five minutes apart and very painful," she cried out in pain.

Things were happening very quickly.

"Oh no. Hang on, Linz, we're coming," Claire informed her, "stay on the phone, honey. We'll be there in like two minutes."

By now Claire, Cindy and Tom were up and running out of the room.

Through the phone, Lindsay could hear the elevator and the three of them stepping in, before the doors closed and Tom's voice in the background.

"Let me talk to her. She's in labour with my child," he insisted.

She could hear the panic in his voice.

"Linz? Linz?" Claire's voice came back through the cell phone.

"Lindsay tried to muffle a scream as the pain increased. "Two minutes," she told Claire with gritted teeth through the pain.

"We're almost there, Linz," the ME assured her.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When Tom's office door flung open, Tom, Claire and Jill found Lindsay leaning up against a wall, rubbing her lower back, preparing herself for the next wave of pain.

"Linz," Claire said and rushed over to her friend.

"Baby. Coming. Now," she panted, "Ahhhh!"

Claire rubbed Lindsay's lower back and turned to Tom. "Call an ambulance, Tom. Now!"

Tom called an ambulance and Claire turned to Jill. "Rush down to the morgue and get me some gloves, towels, scissors, pegs and a pipette. Quick! Now!"

Jill nodded and rushed out. As quick as she possibly could in high heels.

Claire looked back at her friend, "Linz."

Lindsay turned her head to look at Claire. "Yeah?" She asked, breathlessly with a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face.

"Lay on the floor, honey and take off your pants," she said before she and Tom helped Lindsay on to the floor.

Lindsay laid her head in Tom's lap as he held her and Claire helped her out of her maternity jeans and panties.

"Honey.... The baby's head is already crowning. You need to push on your next contraction," she informed the Inspector.

Lindsay nodded and began to push the next wave of pain came quickly.

She moaned in pain and stopped pushing. "Oh God! It burns!" She cried.

"It's because the baby's head is coming, honey. Push through it. Push again," Claire encouraged. "The baby is coming fast. Babe's in a big rush."

Lindsay pushed again as the contraction began to fade before leaning back in to Tom.

"What was that?" She asked, panting. She thought she'd heard something.

Claire looked at Tom, who looked around the office. He didn't see anything.

"I didn't hear anything," He assured Lindsay. "Focus on the baby, honey."

Lindsay nodded and moaned as another contraction made itself known.

"Just the shoulders, Linz. Give it all ya got," Claire encouraged.

What seemed like an eternity later, which in reality was only maybe a minute and a half, a baby's cries filled the room and Tom looked at his watch.

"2:58pm," he announced, just seconds before Claire annouced the baby's gender, since they wanted a surprise.

"It's a girl!" Claire said proudly and rested the wailing baby on the mother's belly.

Lindsay released a sob of happiness as she counted her daughter's fingers and toes. Ten of each.

"Welcome to the world, Natalie Claire Hogan," Lindsay whispered with motherly pride.

The office door flung open. It was Jill with all the stuff, Claire had asked for. Seeing that she was too late and that the baby was born, she cured under her breath. "I'm so sorry."

Lindsay smiled tiredly at the other woman. "It's ok. You're here now."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The new mother woke a few hours later in a Maternity floor hospital room at Mission Cross North. She was woken by the loud, hungry wail coming from her newborn daughter.

Lindsay opened her tired eyes and smiled.

Tom was sitting in the chair beside the bed, craddling newborn Natalie in his arms. "I think she's hungry," he said over the baby's screams and gently passed Natalie to her mother.

Lindsay looked down at her gorgeous baby girl as she moved her hospital gown, so the hungry child could gain access to her food supply.

Natalie's chubby little face was bright red, her brown eyes clenched closed as with her tiny fists, as she wailed.

"It's ok, baby," Lindsay assured Natalie as she guided her to her breast.

Natalie rooted around and finally quietened down when she found what she was looking for and began to suckle hungrily.

Lindsay looked at Tom and smiled, momentarily, before it faded and she winced.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"It's only the second time I've fed her. I'm just trying to get used to it," she assured the father of her new daughter.

Lindsay looked down at Natalie again and smiled a 'proud mama' smile. "She's absolutely gorgeous, Tom. I can't believe that she's finally here. She's healthy, right?"

Tom nodded and rubbed her thigh, covered by the hospital issue blanket. "Yes, she's very healthy. She weighs seven pounds five ounces and is fifteen and a quarter inches," he informed the new mother.

After a comfortable silence, Lindsay spoke up again.

"Good. You want to burp her?"

Tom nodded and gently took Natalie again as Lindsay covered herself up again.

She watched Tom softly patting the newborn's tiny back, whispering sweet words in her tiny ear and smiled.

Lindsay finally had her man back and the child she always wanted.

Life was great but would it stay that way? Of course not.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's the next chapter with a twist. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Only own Natalie, the Doctor and Charlie.**

* * *

Lindsay woke up the next morning to a frantic Tom. She opened her eyes, tiredly and looked up at him.

"Tom? Tom? What's wrong? Where's Nat?" She asked, confused as to why he was pacing around the room and talking to himself.

Tom stopped, swallowed and took a seat beside the hospital bed.

He gently took her hand in his and looked in to her beautiful brown eyes.

Lindsay swallowed and a tear fell from her eyes. She could tell something was wrong with her daughter. Her heart was thumping wildly against the inside of her ribs and her body started to shake. "W-where is Natalie? Where the hell is my daughter?!" She screamed in panic.

Tom licked his dry lips, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly. "Natalie was taken from the nursery, honey."

"No! No! I wanted her to sleep in here with me but no-one would listen to me! She's still sleeping! I'll prove it to you!" She cried, desperately.

The new mother got out of bed and rushed down to the newborn nursery down the hall, ignoring Tom's calls and the pain in between her legs.

She got to the window and looked through it. Lindsay found the clear bassinette, which read: Natalie Claire Hogan B/O (Baby of): Lindsay Boxer.

The little bed was empty. Even Natalie's pink blanket was missing.

She slide down to the floor and sobbed wildly. "My baby! Where's my baby?!" She screamed, hysterically.

Tom gently picked his ex-wife up as two doctors and a nurse ran up to them.

"We're going to have to sedate her, sir," Dr. Mandy Lane said as they headed back in to Lindsay's hospital room.

The Inspector tried to fight her way out of her ex husband's strong grip. "No! No sedative! I need to find my daughter!" She yelled.

Tom tightened his grip and fought against her. "We have the best cops on the case, honey," he assured her and laid her back down on the bed, not releasing his grip on her though as she tiredly continued to fight. "Including Jacobi and the Chief. They'll find Nat safely," he finished as the doctor injected a sedative in to the panicky new mother's bloodstream.

Within seconds Lindsay was out like a light and Tom turned to the doctor. "What I would like to know is how the hell did someone get in there to take our daughter? She's only fifteen and a half hours old for heaven sakes. She needs to be with the mother."

The young doctor sighed. "We're not sure, sir. We're very sorry," she apologized.

"You better just hope we find her safe and sound," he said before his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

Tom got up and grabbed his cell phone as he exited the room. "Hogan."

"Lieutenant. We were watching the surveillance tapes and you might want to see this," Jacobi informed him.

"Just tell me, Jacobi," Tom ordered, impatiently.

He wasn't in the mood for playing games when his newborn baby was missing.

"It was Heather, who took Natalie. Just moments before James Hayes walked in and looked in to the bassinette. James was going to take her to get back at you for putting him away," Jacobi alerted him.

Tom sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. "Meet me at Heather's new house in twenty minutes. The address is on my desk. Bring your new partner."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

Tom hung up and checked on Lindsay, who was still sleeping. He decided it was safe to leave her so he walked out.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Tom, Jacobi and Charlie Morris, Jacobi's partner, while Lindsay was on maternity leave, arrived at Heather's house.

Tom knocked on the door, impatiently. "Open up, Heather!"

Heather hadn't even tried to hide as she answered the door with a screaming Natalie in her arms. "Hi Tom," she smirked, as if she was innocent.

"Give me my daughter," he replied, angrily and took Natalie from her. "Arrest her for kidnapping," he ordered as he walked away with his newborn child.

"No!" Heather cried as Jacobi handcuffed her and Charlie read her rights. "I love you, Tom. You, me and the baby can be a family!" She called out to him, ignoring Charlie as mirandized her.

The new father shook his head in disbelief and sat in his car with Natalie, trying to calm her down. "It's ok, sweetie. I'll take you back to Mommy. Mommy misses you so much," he assured the child and put her in her car seat, buckling her in securely.

"I'll drive you back to the hospital, Lieutenant. Jacobi is taking Heather back to the Hall with the uniforms," Charlie Morris said and got in to the driver's seat.

"Thanks, Charlie."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Lindsay lay curled up in the hospital bed, crying. She was thinking she'd never see her baby again, when she heard a newborn's hungry screech increasing in volume. Coming closer.

Tom finally appeared in the door way with baby Hogan in his arms and Lindsay shot up in bed.

"Tom. Natalie," she cried in relief. "Give me my baby." She reached out for her daughter.

Tom sat down in the chair beside the bed again. "You might want to get yourself ready, honey. She's starving."

The new mother moved her hospital gown and gently took her child in her arms.

Natalie settled down a little just sencing that she was back in safe in her mother's arms. She nuzzled around for her mother's breast before latching on and starting to suckle hungrily.

"Gosh, Daddy was right. You're starving, Nat," Lindsay whispered and leaned down.

She planted a soft kiss on the side of Natalie's head, inhaling her unique baby scent. "Mommy's so glad you're ok, baby," she whispered, motherly.

"Linz," Tom spoke up suddenly.

Lindsay reluctantly took her eyes off her baby girl and looked up at her ex-husband. "What?" She asked coldly.

Natalie sensed her mother's anger and started to cry again.

"It's ok, Nat. It's ok," she soothed the child and controlled her anger before looking back at Tom, when Natalie was back to eating.

"Heather had her. She wasn't going to hurt her," he insisted.

"How do you know that? It's all your fault," she answered, bitterly.

"Linz...."

Lindsay shook her head and caressed the nursing baby's tiny chubby arm. "Don't get me wrong, I love Nat with everything I have but....if you hadn't called me your 'gorgeous angel' that night, like you used to, none of this would have happened."

Tom furrowed his eyebrows. "So you regret having Natalie?" He asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"No, of course not. I won't give up Natalie for anything. Just go back to your fiancee and leave me and my daughter alone."

"Linz...."

"No," she interrupted him again. "This afternoon, my daughter and I are going home alone. Just the two of us. I'm signing out. I'm not staying here another night, not after having Nat was taken from the nursery. She'll be much safer at home with me."

"She's my daughter too," he said as Lindsay lifted Natalie up to her shoulder and fixed her gown.

"Yeah, but you're also the one that said us having sex that night was a mistake," she replied, adamantly, as she softly patted her daughter's back, burping her.

"Lindsay." He'd regretted saying that since the day she told him that she was pregnant.

Lindsay shook her head, just as Natalie released a baby belch. "Please just leave us alone," she practically begged and laid Natalie down in her arms to rock to sleep.

"You and Natalie need a protective detail," he told her, firmly.

Lindsay sighed. "Fine. Only 'cause I have Nat now."

"I'll stay until they turn up but I'll be quiet," he promised.

Tom didn't want to fight anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

**Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except Natalie and the officers.**

* * *

The detail finally arrived breaking the uncomfortable silence in the hospital room between Lindsay and Tom.

"We're Craig Sullivan and Randy Kincaid. We're your protective detail, Inspector," Craig, being the the higher rank out of the two, introduced himself and his partner.

Lindsay nodded and looked up to see the father of her daughter, trying to make a quick and quiet escape.

"Tom...." She called out softly, not wanting to wake Natalie, who was still sleeping soundly in her arms.

The Lieutenant stopped and turned back around to his ex wife, seeing the small sad smile on her tired face, he waited for her to speak.

"Let Nat and I get settled at home tonight and come see us tomorrow after work," Lindsay offered, nicely.

She didn't want to deprive Natalie of seeing her father and she didn't want to deprive Tom of seeing his daughter.

Tom nodded. "Ok. I love you two."

"We love you too," Lindsay replied, surprising herself and Tom.

She hadn't said those three magical words the whole time that they were living together, during her pregnancy.

Lindsay watched Tom walk out, sadly. She couldn't believe that she had just admitted to still loving Tom. To herself and him.

The Inspector was startled out of her thoughts by her doctor, which in turn, startled the newborn in her arms.

Lindsay kissed Natalie on her forehead and murmured, "it's ok, baby."

She then looked up at Dr. Lane. "Yes?" She asked, trying to settle her daughter back down.

"I have your discharge forms here. You and Natalie are cleared to go," she said and placed them on the table in front of her with a pen.

Lindsay gently moved Natalie over to free her left hand, so she could sign the forms.

Lindsay was desperate to take her baby girl home.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The new mother carried the baby carrier, which contained her sleepy newborn, in to the living room of her apartment and sat the carrier on the coffee table.

"Inspector?"

"Yes?" Lindsay replied as she undone the buckles before picking Natalie up.

"One of us will be in here with you and the child and the other will be guarding the front door at all time. It will be between us two and another two men. Which you will meet tomorrow morning. Anyone you are expecting in that time, ma'am?"

Lindsay looked down at her daughter, whom was starting to fuss because she was hungry again. She looked back up at Craig, knowing that she would have to tell him quickly before she began to screech.

"Yes, other then Tom, I'll be expecting my best friends. Dr. Claire Washburn, D.D.A Jill Bernhardt and Cindy Thomas, reporter for the Register. Use that photo to identify them," she told him and pointed to a photo taken a couple weeks before of herself at thirty-seven weeks pregnant. She was with the girls and they had their hands on her big baby bump. The four of them smiling at the camera.

"Yes, ma'am," Craig answered, taking the photo as Lindsay took a hungry Natalie in to the bedroom.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

After baby ate, she began screaming again, refusing to sleep.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong? Your diaper is dry, you've been burped. Are you in pain? Tell Mommy what's wrong, baby," she murmured, pacing around the bedroom, trying to soothe her screaming daughter.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" She called out in frustration.

The door opened and Craig popped his head in. "Dr. Washburn is here, ma'am."

"Oh thank God," Lindsay breathed, "Let her in."

Claire walked in and smiled sadly at her best friend. "Hey, honey. What's wrong with baby Nat?"

"I....I don't know. P...please take her, Claire," Lindsay begged.

The Medical Examiner had never seen the Inspector like this before. Begging.

She put gentle hands on her friend's shoulders and gently squeezed.

"Calm down, honey. I want you to try something for me, ok?"

The new mother slowly nodded and waited for Claire to say what.

"Pass me my precious god-daughter and lay down in bed," Claire instructed.

"Claire...."

"Just do it, Linz. Trust me, ok?"

Lindsay just nodded and passed her daughter to one of the only four people she trusted with her pride and joy before getting in to bed, as directed.

"What now?"

"Take off your top and bra," Claire answered and laid Natalie down on the foot of the bed.

"What the?!" Lindsay furrowed her eyebrows. "I only just fed her."

"You aren't feeding her, Linz. Just do it," Claire intructed her again as she undressed Natalie out of her pink and white stripped onesie, just leaving her diaper.

Once Lindsay was bare from the waist up and covered by the bed sheet. Claire approached her with a just diapered Natalie.

"Lay down, honey."

Lindsay laid down and reached out for her still screaming child.

Claire passed Natalie to her mother. "Now lay her on your abdomen under the sheet, where she can hear your heart beating."

Lindsay nodded and did just that. Within seconds Natalie was silent and her tiny brown eyes were drifting shut with sleep, so Lindsay put her pink pacifier back in to her tiny mouth.

The new mother looked up at the Medical Examiner with surprise eteched in her fatigued face.

"Wow," she breathed, "how did you know that that would work?"

"Some babies perfer skin to skin contact and it appears that little Natalie Claire Hogan is one of those babies."

"Thanks Claire."

"No problem," Claire replied and sat beside Lindsay on the bed. "Where's Tom?"

Lindsay rubbed Natalie's tiny warm back and sighed. "After we got Nat back from Heather...."

"Hang on, why did Heather have Natalie?" Claire interrupted, hearing about the kidnapping for the first time.

The dark haired female Inspector was about to reply but was interrupted again by the bedroom door opening again.

Lindsay made sure that she wasn't exposed too much to give anyone a peep show and that the sheet wasn't any higher then Natalie's tiny shoulder blades.

Lindsay saw her other best friends, Jill and Cindy, pounce in the bedroom.

"Hey," The D.D.A. Greeted her.

"Hi," the reporter spoke up beside the D.D.A.

"Hey guys," Lindsay welcomed them. "Couldn't wait any longer, could you?" She said with a small laughing, only resulting in Natalie letting her mother know she didn't want her laughing.

Lindsay rubbed her back and kissed the crown of her head, covered with some soft dark brown hair. "Sorry, Nat. Mommy's sorry."

"Little Nat keeping you busy already?" Jill asked with a smile.

Lindsay smiled back. "Yep."

Cindy looked from Lindsay to Claire and back. "Are we interrupting something?"

"No, it's fine, guys. You have every right to hear," Lindsay assured the younger woman.

Jill and Cindy both sat down on free spots on the large four poster bed.

"Heather took Natalie from the Hospital's nursery this morning. She didn't even try to disguise herself or anything. Tom, Jacobi and Morris went to Heather's house a few hours later and she was actually holding Natalie when she answered the door. And....and when she was being taken away in handcuffs, she......she was telling Tom how much she still loves him and how she wanted the three of them to be a family. Her, Tom and Nat. Natalie is my baby," Lindsay explained, trying to keep her emotions in control before Natalie could sence her sadness and distress and start crying.

Claire laid down beside Lindsay and wrapped an arm around her, being very careful of the baby. "It's ok, honey. You got Nat back and you have me, Jill and Cindy," she assured her in a whisper and planted a friendly featherlight kiss on her cheek.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Lindsay was lying in bed the next morning, under the covers. She was bare from the waist up again with baby Natalie sleeping happily in just her diaper on her mommy's chest.

A knock at the door startled her and she put the TV on mute.

"Come in," she spoke in a voice slightly above a whisper, not to wake her baby girl.

The door slowly opened to reveal Tom. "Morning girls."

Lindsay smiled, tiredly. "Morning. Come sit down."

"How did night number one go? Did did either of you get enough sleep?" he asked as he sat down on the bed beside his ex wife.

The proud new mother kissed her sleeping daughter's head. "Natalie woke every hour or so. She's a very light sleeper," she replied with a yawn.

Tom gently rubbed his daughter's tiny back, on top of the sheet. "Aww, honey. You must be exhausted," he said and gently lifted Natalie up to take her but quickly stopped. The baby started to scream her disapproval and Lindsay glared at him with her own disapproval.

"You woke her, you idiot," she seethed before softly rubbing Natalie's back.

"It's ok, sweetie. It was just daddy," she whispered, assuring the newborn.

"Sorry, Linz....James Hayes is in custody. He's awaiting arraignment."

Lindsay sighed in relief. "That's good."

Tom leaned down and kissed his ex wife on the lips. "I love you."

Lindsay returned the kiss. "I love you too. Thanks for Natalie."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This was going to be the sequel but I have put both stories together. I hope you enjoy this next part. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Only own people you don't recognize.**

The sound of a ringtone and something vibrating along her bed side table woke Inspector Lindsay Boxer up with a start. She'd only just nursed Natalie, changed her diaper and put her back down about an hour ago. Tom was on another business trip somewhere. Lindsay didn't know where because he hadn't told her. She only knew that he wouldn't be back for another two days, so she was looking after their three month old daughter alone.

Lindsay groaned and reached over for it with her eyes closed. She had to answer it before it woke Natalie up.

"Boxer," she answered. Her voice soft and groggy, filled with sleep.

"We've got a case, Boxer," her partner, Warren Jacobi informed her over the line, "Get your butt out of bed."

Boxer squinted her eyes to see the time on her alarm clock. It was only 5:47 in the morning. "Jacobi, did you forget that I have a baby and no time to find a baby sitter at this time of the morning," she answered, irritated, opening her eyes properly, trying to adjust to the sunrise coming through the bedroom window.

"I'm very aware of that, Lindsay, but I need you down here. It's been checked and taped off. It's safe, I promise."

Lindsay sat up and rubbed a hand down her tired face. "Fine. I'll be there ASAP."

Jacobi gave her the address, which was only a ten minute drive away and she hung up.

The Inspector quickly got dressed and packed a diaper bag for Natalie before walking up to the bassinette, containing a content and sleeping infant.

"Come on, baby. Mommy has to work," she whispered, picking up her daughter, accidentally waking her in the process.

"Shh, Nat. It's ok, honey. It's ok," Lindsay murmured as she picked the diaper bag off the bed and carried the baby out of the apartment, gently bouncing her to settle her down.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Lindsay placed Natalie in the baby pouch on her chest and walked up to Claire, Jill and Jacobi. They were standing around a dead body. Lindsay was silently glad that Natalie was asleep with her tiny head against her chest.

"What we got?" She asked, quietly.

"Hey, honey," Claire greeted her and gave Natalie a soft kiss on the head. "Hi Nat.... The victim is a twenty eight year old Caucasian female. Stabbed at least ten times. Time of death is less then two hours ago. Name's Cassie Benton."

Lindsay nodded.

"Witnesses said they saw her ex-husband running from the scene about an hour and a half ago," Jacobi added.

Lindsay grabbed her pen and note pad out and jotted stuff down. "Anyone get a description?"

"Already got it, Boxer," Jacobi answered.

Lindsay nodded and put her pen and note pad back in to her pocket. "Why did you need me for then?" She asked annoyed, rubbing her baby girl's chubby right leg as she seemed to continue to sleep peacefully through all the noise and commotion. "Where's Morris?"

"His son is in hospital, Linz."

"And I have a baby , if you hadn't noticed," she replied as Natalie began to cry.

She'd had enough of the noise already. She was not liking it at all.

The mother kissed her daughter's head. "It's ok, sweetie... We're going home. I'll be down at the hall after lunch," she snarled the last two sentences before turning to walk away.

"Lindsay," both Claire and Jill tried to call their best friend back.

"I need to take Natalie home," she answered, continuing to walk away, not turning back.

She ducked under the yellow tape and headed back to her white SUV, where she fastened her daughter in to the baby seat, in the back seat before getting in the driver's seat.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Hiding in the shadows was their suspect, watching the police, the D.D.A, and the medical examiner with her staff. He was admiring his work. He was proud of himself, if he must say so himself.

The anonymous man's eyes were glued on a certain Inspector with a baby in a pouch on her chest.

He was searching in his mind for the woman's name. He had seen her on TV and in news articles, several written by Cindy Thomas, from the Register.

Inspector Lindsay Boxer. That was it. That was the Inspector's name. And her baby's name was Natalie. He had seen it in the birth notices in the newspaper about three months ago. The article had been put in by the doctor, that D.D.A and the reporter. The child's god-mothers.

He watched Lindsay walk toward the white SUV parked in front of the house with the baby screaming. He heard the baby finally settle as he ran towards his own car. The suspect was fasinated by this inspector with an infant.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The wavy, dark haired Inspector gently lifted the quiet baby, whom was sucking on her pink pacifier, out of her car seat, totally oblivious to the fact she had been followed home and was being watched.

"Come on, baby. Mommy's going to call daddy, while mommy feeds you," Lindsay whispered to the infant as she shut the car door with her foot.

She locked the car and went inside, up to her apartment.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Claire looked at Jill and Jacobi with a worried expression etched in her face. "I'm worried about her. She's exhausted and has refused help with that baby since the day after she was born and it doesn't help that Tom is disappearing for days at a time," she said with a sigh.

Jill nodded, in agreement, with one of her best friends.

"Maybe we should call Tom."

"Yeah we should. He's our last option. Lindsay needs a break, which includes a very long sleep," Claire replied and turned to her assistant.

"Jamie!"

The twenty eight year old man, who stood at exactly 5 ft 9 with sandy brown hair and hazel eyes, jogged up to his boss. "Yes, Dr. Washburn?"

"Get the body to the morgue. I'll meet you down there."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied and set to work.

Claire and Jill found a quiet spot and called Tom, putting him on loud speaker so they could both talk to him.

"Lieutenant Hogan."

"Tom, it's Claire and Jill," Claire informed him.

"What can I do for you two?" He asked, suspiciously.

"We need you to come back two days early."

"Why?"

"Lindsay needs you."

"She was fine when I talk to her yesterday. Said Natalie was finally sleeping through the night."

Claire sighed and looked at Jill, who shook her head. "She lied, Tom. Natalie is not sleeping through the night and Lindsay is beyond exhausted. She refuses help, Tom."

Tom sighed. "I can't get back before tomorrow," he answered.

The women sighed in frustration. "Fine," they both replied before Claire hung up.

"Well that didn't help much. We need to convince Lindsay to let one of us look after Natalie for the night so she can sleep."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything or anyone you recognize.**

**

* * *

  
**

Lindsay sat down on the couch in the living room with the cordless phone handset in her hand as Natalie suckled sustenance from her.

She lightly padded her daughter's diapered bottom and kissed the tiny hand planted on the top of her breast.

"Let call daddy, huh?"

The Inspector dialled in Tom's cell phone number, but was disappointed to find it busy.

"I guess daddy is too busy to talk this morning, sweetheart. After you're finished we'll get some more sleep before mommy has to head down to work," she whispered to her eating child.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Lindsay walked in to the bullpen with the diaper bag on her shoulder and Natalie wide awake in her arms. She saw the girls and Jacobi standing by her desk with something in a brown paper bag beside Claire, sitting on the desk.

"Hey," Lindsay greeted them.

They all replied with their 'hellos', before looking at Claire, leaving whatever needed to be said up to her, since she was Lindsay's closest friend.

"I need you in interrogation in about half an hour, Boxer," Jacobi said and walked away, not wanting anything to do with the upcoming conversation between Lindsay, Claire, Jill and Cindy.

The Inspector looked around at her best friends, curiously. "What's going on?" She asked, furrowing her brows.

"Can I hold Natalie?" Jill asked, holding out her arms for the child.

Lindsay sighed but nodded. "Sure," she replied and delicately passed her infant daughter to the D.D.A. "Now....What is going on, Claire?"

The Medical Examiner picked up the item out of the bag and showed Lindsay. It was a breast pump.

"What the hell?!"

"Natalie is going to need food while we babysit her," Claire explained.

"What? You're babysitting?" She asked and looked away to see that Jill had taken off with her baby girl.

Claire saw Lindsay's expression change from angry to scared and anxious in a matter of a second.

"Where's m-my d-daughter?!"

She was looking around, frantically. Having flashbacks of when Natalie was taken the day after she was born.

Claire gave Lindsay a hug. "Just in Jill's office, honey. It's ok. Nat is ok. Use the breast pump."

Lindsay picked up the item with a look of disgust.

"It's just like when Natalie suckles except it goes in to a bottle before a belly. Don't worry, it's sterilized," Claire explained.

Lindsay sighed and nodded. "Can you guard the break room please?"

"Sure honey," Claire replied and guided her friend to the break room.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

After using the breast pump and giving what she filled to Claire for Natalie, she walked in to the interrogation room to see that Jacobi had just started with the suspect, Eric Campbell.

"Hey, you're the Inspector with the baby," he said with a whistle as he saw her walk in to the room and close the door behind her.

His aim was to annoy her enough for her to turn violent and he was planning on saying anything to make it happen.

"So? My child is none of your concern. Don't you even think about my daughter!" Lindsay snarled, trying to keep her anger in check.

She was beyond exhausted and her emotions were all of the place.

"Oh, I won't think about her," he smirked, still trying to annoy her enough.

He just wanted her to turn violent toward him. He didn't know why exactly but he did.

"Boxer," Jacobi warned but it was just one second too late.

Lindsay pulled the chair from under Campbell and started to kick the crap out of him. "You son of a bitch! You leave my daughter alone!" She roared.  
"Lindsay!" Jacobi yelled, pulling the female Inspector off of the suspect. "Get off of him, Boxer!"

Lindsay stood up properly again and exhaled a deep breath. "Let go of me! I'm going to see my baby," she said and rushed out of the room.

Lindsay ran all the way to the D.D.A's office and flung the door open, causing the three women in the room to look up from the gorgeous giggling baby occuping their attention.

Claire could sense something was wrong and went to approach her but Lindsay ran straight to Cindy, who was now holding her infant daughter.

"Linz?"

"Pass me my daughter please."

Cindy nodded with a stuttered, "of course," and passed Natalie to the dark haired woman.

The mother gently took her daughter and held her up to her chest with her tiny head on her shoulder. "Oh my baby," Lindsay murmured, softly rubbing the tiny girl's back and inhaling her unique baby scent. Baby powder, lotion and shampoo.

Claire looked at Jill and Cindy, who both nodded and quietly left the office, giving the Medical Examiner and the Inspector some privacy, since Claire sometimes was the only one who could get Lindsay to open up.

Claire softly shut the door before putting a caring hand on Lindsay's lower back.

"Linz?" She spoke up and waited for the taller woman to look at her. She didn't.

Lindsay continued to look at her pride and joy.

"Lindsay....Lindsay Boxer!"

Boxer finally looked up at her best friend, startled. "What's wrong, Claire?" She asked, gently moving Natalie down in to a laying position in her arms, since she was now sleeping.

"What happened in that short time that you were in the interrogation room, honey?"

"The....the suspect was getting his rocks off talking about Natalie. I don't know how he knows about her...I- I snapped. I pulled the chair from underneath him and kicked the crap out of him," she explained and gave her baby a kiss on the forehead.

Claire put a friendly hand on the slightly younger woman's arms, looking in to her beautiful brown eyes. "Linz, you need a break, honey. Fill up another bottle using the pump and you can nurse Natalie before you leave tonight, ok? I am going to look after her for the night."  
"You might not have enough for her all night. She likes to be fed at about three am," she replied nervously. She didn't like her baby girl out of her sight.

"She'll be fine, honey. But you, on the other hand, need a good night's rest," the Medical Examiner, whom was a mother herself assured the mother.

Lindsay sighed before reluctantly agreeing because she was so tired.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

That night Lindsay came home after a nice jog with Martha and had a nice hot relaxing bath. The apartment seem to be too bare and quiet, too lifeless, without Natalie in the home.

Lindsay laid down on the couch in the living room and looked at Natalie's empty bassinet. She sighed and looked at the clock. It was 9:24pm. Her daughter would probably be eating right about now before going to sleep, to get ready for her three am feeding.

She looked down at her chest and noticing that she was leaking. "Crap," she cursed and grabbed the breast pump.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Claire sat on the couch in her living room with Natalie in her arms. She gently guided the nipple of the warm up breast milk to the infant's lips.

"Are you going to drink mommy's milk for 'Aunt' Claire, sweetie?"

The baby took the teat in her mouth and knew it wasn't her mother, so she flatly refused to take it, even though she was hungry.

Natalie began screaming even louder. She was screaming for her mother.

Claire didn't want to call Lindsay if she could help it, so she tried to settle her down, to try feeding her again but when 9:17 became 9:48pm, the Medical Examiner decided that it was time to call the infant's mother.

She grabbed the phone and pressed speed dial three for 'Lindsay home'.

"Boxer," Lindsay answered, half asleep.

She had just began to doze off on the couch.

"Hey, Linz. I'm so sorry but Nat is refusing to drink from the bottle."

Lindsay shot up. She could hear her daughter's screaming through the phone. "She must be starving. I'm on my way," she told her friend and hung up.

Lindsay headed to Claire's not knowing that her life would change dramatically the next morning.


End file.
